Soldiers take part in motorcycle safety rally

Thursday

May 31, 2012 at 12:01 AM

Staff Sgt. Vianne R. Davis 108th ADA PAO

Soldiers from 108th Air Defense Artillery Brigade participated in the U.S. Army Forces Command Motorcycle Safety Rally May 16. There were over 100 riders from Fort Bragg, 10 of whom were from the 108th ADA Brigade.

Soldiers met at Parking Lot E for the rally at the intersection of Randolph Street and Souter Plaza and riders began showing up at 8 a.m. for inspections and registration.

The purpose of the rally was to emphasize motorcycle safety, provide mentorship to younger, less experienced riders and bring awareness to surrounding communities about the number of motorcycle riders in the Fort Bragg area.

“Our goals are to educate new riders, get rid of unsafe riding practices and replace them with good riding habits,” said Correa.

Capt. Jonathon Lewis, motorcycle safety officer for the 108th ADA Brigade, spoke about how the brigade encourages all Soldiers to participate in programs that are designed to implement and enforce safety on Fort Bragg and surrounding areas.

“I’m a big advocate of motorcycle mentorship and safety events,” said Lewis.

“We must use senior mentors to ensure safety precautions and practices are distributed down to the lowest level. It is extremely important to reinforce safety from a command perspective,” said Lewis.

The ride began on post with military police escorts to aid with traffic control and ensure the safe departure of the cyclists. Once the riders were outside the Fort Bragg gate, local police escorted the riders to the Pinehurst Golf and Country Club in Southern Pines, N.C., where the participants ate lunch. After lunch, the riders rode back to Fort Bragg and conducted an after action review of the ride.

Issues that were discussed in the AAR included recommendations to make the ride safer for the next rally, improvements on the way riders switched lanes and used hand signals, and tips experienced riders use to improve their safety while riding.

“I spoke to participants after the ride and their comments were very positive,” said David Martin, 108th ADA brigade safety manager. “Each motorcycle rally, I see our riders grow and become more aware of the importance of safe riding habits,” said Martin.

“I was impressed with the tight formation that the riders maintained throughout the route. It is encouraging to see riders practicing safety and taking necessary precautions,” said Williams.